EU observers hail Kosovo’s peaceful election but criticize the polarization of political debate
EU observers hail Kosovo’s peaceful election but criticize the polarization of political debate
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — European Union observers on Tuesday hailed Kosovo’s “peaceful and competitive” parliamentary election but criticized the left-wing government that won the most seats for polarizing the political debate.
The EU’s 104-member Election Observation Mission was joined by the Council of Europe and other international and local organizations to monitor the Feb. 9 voting.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement Party, or Vetevendosje!, won the most seats but was left without a majority in the parliament, according to the Central Election Commission, the election governing body, forcing it to look for an ally to form the next government.
“The elections were peaceful and competitive with participation of all communities, testing a new legal framework,” a statement from the EU observers said. “The campaign was vibrant despite harsh rhetoric reflecting deep political divisions.”
The election marked the first time since independence in 2008 that Kosovo’s parliament completed a full four-year mandate. It was the ninth parliamentary vote in Kosovo since the end of the 1998-1999 war between Serbia and ethnic Albanian separatists that pushed Serbian forces out following a 78-day NATO air campaign.
Serbia doesn’t recognize Kosovo’s independence.
Sunday’s election was key in determining who will lead Kosovo as talks on normalizing ties with Serbia remain stalled and foreign funding for one of Europe’s poorest countries is in question.
The new 120-seat parliament reserves 20 seats for minorities regardless of election results, 10 of them for the Serb minority.
Srpska Lista is the main party of the ethnic Serb minority and is supported by Serb President Aleksandar Vucic. He urged voters to cast their ballots for the party, which apparently won 10 seats.
The EU observers’ statement noted that party members put “pressure on voters who are largely dependent on Serbian social assistance or employment in Serbia-managed institutions in the Kosovo-Serb municipalities.” Belgrade also announced ahead of the polls that 5,000 Serbs in Kosovo would receive 170 euros per month as of mid-February.
Observers criticized the Vetevendosje!’s attempt to prevent the certification of Srpska Lista and its intensified rhetoric aimed at delegitimizing Srpska Lista ‘s participation in the elections.
Kurti is also likely to try and repair ties with Western powers after his Cabinet took several steps that raised tensions with Serbia and Kosovo’s ethnic Serbs, including a ban on the use of the Serbian currency, the dinar, and dinar transfers to Kosovo’s Serbs.
Kurti in his new term will face multiple challenges after Washington froze foreign aid and the European Union suspended funding for some projects almost two years ago. He is also under pressure to increase public salaries and pensions, improve education and health services, and fight poverty.
Kosovo, with a population of 1.6 million, is one of the poorest countries in Europe with an annual gross domestic product of less than 6,000 euros ($6,200) per person.
The statement from the EU observers also criticized Washington’s envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, for involvement in the campaign, criticizing Kurti for not being a reliable partner to the United States.
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Semini reported from Tirana, Albania.
By FLORENT BAJRAMI and LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press
